Page 5 of Off Season

Daniel and I are just getting to work on finishing the custom orders that are due to be picked up later today to then get a head start on prep for tomorrow when my phone begins to ring. I slip it out of the pocket of my apron and swipe my finger across the screen to answer.

“Hi, Alex,” I greet my brother.

“Hey! How’s it been today?”

He usually works with us, but with Blaine’s season being over, he’s taking a few days off.

Plus, they’re both taking a trip to California soon, so he’s been getting ready for that.

“Busy.” I rest the phone between my ear and shoulder, allowing me to finish doing the decorative pink swirls on the princess-themed birthday cake I’m working on. “We sold out just after lunch.”

“Wow. Do you think we need to start upping the quantities?”

“You sound just like Daniel,” I answer with a laugh, looking at the guy in question. He smirks, brushing off an imaginary piece of lint from his shoulder.

I’m so glad we hired Daniel. He’s been a lifesaver, along with Aria, who helps us out on the weekends. We’re not at the point of expansion, but having two more people to help me and Alex has been such a relief.

Still, if we continue to grow at this rate, we’ll need to look at hiring another person or three. And maybe find a bigger store.

That’s a scary thought.

“I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor,” Alex asks.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Could you bring some cupcakes over later for the guys? They’re all sad, and I don’t have enough ingredients here to make anything.”

I scrunch up my nose. “They’re sad because of the hockey game?”

The Thunder lost a big game on Saturday night. Alex has been telling me for weeks how important it was, trying to teach me the playoff format and what it all means, but I’ll admit—I’m not a hockey fan.

Actually, I’m not a fan of any kind of sport thanks to some douche canoes in high school, but I’ve been trying to make a conscious effort since Alex and Blaine’s relationship became serious.

He’s good for my brother. He treats him like a prized treasure, so the least I can do is try and learn about his job.

Alex lets out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, Jacob. They were so close to advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. It was game seven, double overtime in the conference finals. They were one goal away from getting into the Finals. It’s gonna be a sore subject for a while.”

Double overtime? Ouch. Even though I’m a novice, I know that must sting.

“How’s Blaine taking it?” I ask, carefully carrying the cake I’ve finished into our fancy new fridge—thanks to a certain amazing man who helped us upgrade all the equipment after yet another oven broke down on us a couple of months ago—and take the second cake out.

“Tough,” he says. “He’s been like a shell of himself, but I managed to cheer him up by su?—”

“I don’t want to hear about your sexcapades, thank you,” I quickly interrupt.

He snickers. “Well, let’s just say I soon had him smiling and forgetting all about the game, but he’s been…” He trails off, lowering his voice to a whisper. “He’s been overly affectionate this morning. He’s being a little needy.”

“That’s because he’s a big, sappy goofball.”

“I know,” Alex lets out a dreamy sigh. I can hear his smile in his voice. “I love it, though.”

When I first met Blaine, his cocky, self-assured attitude made me want to tell Alex to run for the hills. His energy screamedI’m gonna break your heart,but thankfully he proved me wrong. Because behind the arrogant and egotistical facade was a guy who was afraid of getting his own heart broken and who became the cheesiest, sappiest guy I’ve ever known. And my brother has never been happier.

It’s all I could ever ask for.

I just hope one day I can find it for myself, too.

A couple of hours later, armed with a box of a dozen strawberry and vanilla cupcakes, I walk into Blaine’s living room.

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